Dispensing machine



Sept. 5, 1950 G. M. HuHEE-Y Erm..

DISPENSING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Marh 2o, 194e lila.

Septw 5, 195@ G. AM. HUHEEY ETAL 2,521,45

DISPENSING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March zo, '1948 I N VEN TORS Geo e fa/:eey BY fnl/ffm .L Mmm,

" 'f This invention relates Patented Sept.; 5, 1950 l George M. Huheey and J. VVhitacrali Cinors tojPoiter Casftl,cherry-,-A

n cinnati, Ukio,v assign jCincinnatLQhio' 1 .to dispensing machines of the cabinet ltype and has for its'principal object the provision of a novel dispensing mechanism kfor milkcartons that has an inclined article "chute rockably mounted within the l cabinet which cooperatesiwith aunique dispensing receptacle mountedforoscillating movement' in thev cabinet wall to ysecure improved article'disp'ens- .ing functions for this type of machine. y

Another object of the inventionl is to vprovide an"`oscillating dispensing Yreceptacle which, ,du-ring'dispensing movement, movesvthe lower endv of a rockable, inclined article chute toa posin tion 'above' the cabinet opening, 'uncovere'dby l operationvof said receptacle,y to kpreclude `un-' authorized tampering with'the contents of the. machine and especially preventing'access to the lowermost article in the chute..V

VAffurther'object of the invention islfto-provide "fa dispensing-unit whichfhas a positive dispensing action and'whereinj'theaarticlesto be 4'dispensed will readily move from the inclinedffeed' chutel'to the dispensing receptacle' without stop- 'Seri-amo. 16,056

' s claims, (elpais-foar l,1

usual manner and Ipreferably having I'the insulation sheathed inlthin metal 1 walls. The cabinet hasan'insulated'top `Iii hinged to the back wall at I'i'and held in closed `position by4 a -key con.` trolled lock I8. A refrigerating .`unit"i1I"9` isA mountedjuponthe bottom I5 of thecabinetand,

may be removed therefromior repairs or '.re-- l placement throughaV door`g20 hingedto thejfrontvwalll llwand secured thereto bya key lock 2I .l V- ,f

An elongated aperture 22 is formedinythe,y

front wall across the'upper portion thereof) rsaid aperture being| closed by a lplate 231;..which' is iixed to the wallby suitablebolts 24 rv`(Fig. 3M threaded'in integral lugs 25 formed on itsinterior surface. The plate 'has a number or?transverselyv spaced, dispensing` openings 26 formed therew through" and each of said openings has associ+' ated ywith itl a'manually operable closure 21 which v isilhingedat its lower end on a'pinv 28 ,Which-in page, wedging or sticking in the chute' itself.` orA betweenl the .chute and' ,dispensing receptacle.

`-A still further object of theinvention iste provide in a dispensing machine'of thel refrigerated cabinet type asimpliiiedmechanism which can lbe removed as a unit from the cabinet for cleaning, repairs or replacement purposes.:`

lOther objects and practical advantages ofthe invention will be fully understood from the lfollowing specication andl claims when ifeadin connection withthe drawings.

In 'the drawings wherein like' reference'v nu-s merals :indicate similar vparts:

vfFigl is a front elevational views-of our'dispensingmachine. f

Fig. 2:is a section taken on 'lineZ--Z ofV Fig. Fig; 3 is an enlarged section takenon line 3--3 i. bf Fig. lshowing the dispensing machine in inoperative position.

Fig. v4:' is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the machine parts in operative dispensing positions.

I Fig.'5 is a sectiontaken .on line A5` 5 of Fig.3.

' Fig.-6.isa sectiony taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4., Generally our improved dispensing device is and is particularly useful in'vending: highlyper- 'ishable liquid products such as milk,

e or the like, which is Vpackaged in cartons'. f f

turn is secured to the plate 23 by. spaced'hinge brackets 329'. 'As'will presently be understoodselective I-manual operation of` anyv vOne of the hingedelosures dispenses an article, such; as a cartonof'milk, which has been stored on an infclined article chute spaced in longitudinal alignment'behind each closure'.

, 'The chutes and.v theirv respective dispensing receptacles are identical in structure Vand* operationyand-adescription of `one of them will. be suincientto clearlyvdescribe our invention. As clearlyillustrated'in Figs. 3 and l` the closure 21;

is provided at its upper end with aconveX,.hand-.

grip portion 30 and has a centrally located opening 3| rvformedv therethrough which yis ,closed by a transparent "plate` 32 so that the articlev to Vbe selected may be viewed from' the exterior of the cabinet; An inclined, L-shaped dispensing receptacle or vpocketv 33 is fixed' to the interior of the closure and has an inclined end wall 34A exadapted for coin controlled vending machines;

The numeral I0 generally" indicates a" cabinet having a single compartment constructedlwith a front wall I I, a back wall I2, opposed side walls '.zI3 and I4and aibottomI'l all insulatediri the tending from an intermediate portion ofthe clo- 'sure 27 through the lower part ofthe dispensing opening 26 with its extremity vpositionedfwell within the cabinet and substantially level with" the closure pivot pin 28. yThe dispensingpocket also'fhas an oppositely inclined bottom; w'al135 that is Xed to the lower endof the inclined en d wall 34 and is vdisposednormal thereto; said'end.

and bottom WallsV being connected by ,upstanding' lateral wallsl 36 land 31 Whichjare providedat "their upper'ends with Valigned hand openings 38'. AAs iSv-clearly' illustrated in Fig'.13 the L-shaped lreceptacle extends through, and has' circular 4movementim the dispensing opening 26and norzfinally .hash its predominant portion withinthe cabinet and below the loweredge of said dispensmember is disposed in the paths of the arms for all the receptacles and narrow slots 65 are formed in the forward side of the tubular member for the admission of the arm therein when the receptacle is moved from its inoperative, closed psition. This structure `prevents the operator from withdrawing more than a single dispensing member,v` for Veach coin controlled operation of our machine for upon the entrance of`Y one arm into its respective slot t5 in the tubular member 62 the balls in the tubular member are so crowded friction ribs #lf3 which are formed longitudinally in the channel and are adapted to engage at their inner ends with the bottom and side portions of the cartons `i5 held for sliding movement on the chute. The channel is mounted for rocking movement intermediate its endsfuponha cross shaft 6E which is suitably anchored at its ends in the side walls i3 andifi of the cabinet and serves as accmmon-rock shaft for all the article feedjchutes containedl inthecabinet.'` As illus-v trated -in -igs.- -3 'andi/"6 'the mounting means between the channelv and the vshaft may take the forniv `of an. inverted U-shaped bar 41 'having spaced, downtur-ned 'earsd and "i9 each of which are providedwwith laterally aligned; open slots Sil'for receiving the `cross-shaft'llli. Each chute mounting ispre'cluded from.- transverse movement fby-shoulders 5 l L-Xed in'l spaced relation' on the shaft "465 lS`' V" Y' The forward endof -theJchute-fis 'supported by alongitudinally extensible vconnection between the lower endof `the l'c'h'utelandthe adjacent inner end-iportion of"its-respective'I dispensing recep` tacle; said.connectionpreferably/'taking the form of a pair of longitudinallyweatending, spaced arms 52;'521 riveted orotherwise fastened `Ato ther sides 422-43 'of tli-"e'chute These 'arms rest upon transverselv *extending pins! ddl-53C mounted on 'the unde'sideffSofi` the bottom wall 2.35for'the receptacle;y It' willfthereforeyb'e z'iotedy that upon oscil; lating movement i 'off the dispensing receptacle about 4itsspivot pin 23 the :lower end 4of vthe kchute Ml--will beraisedandflowered, thereby'ro'cking'the chute upon its mounting rod 4%.' The arms 52-1-52 on the chute are biased't'owardf. engagement with the pins S34-53 onthe receptacle .by a spring 54 which? isA hooked 'at itsupper end toV the bottom of the `chute"intermediate'the rock shaft mounting and theassoc'iated receptacle and is secured at its lower end toa bari 555- eitending across the interior of thecabinet and anchored at'its ends t-lthe sidewallsland I4.

Each receptacle-has a contr-ol bar which may comprise a-depending arcuate arm '5t-"having an acruate row-'of teeth and an arcuate rib 58 extendingtransverselytherefrom(V The teeth of each control barare 4adapted to engage, with a pawl 5S pivoted on'a U`shaped`bracket rin turnmounted'to the interior surface of the front wa'llii adjacent theicontrol arm 56. The pawl is resiliently mounted inthe path of the teeth byla spring 5i securedto theupper end of the bracket and'it will be'understood that after initial actuationoi the `dispensing.receptacle in either directionof'iits operation said movement must be complet'edc-bef-ore -the'directionV can be reversed. The control barsof all the vreceptacles are engagedsby a common ball lockout meanswhich connzxivis'es'av tubular `mem-ber 'S3-'provided with a reenforcing iinSJyThe member is anchored in theiside walls isgand -l'fa'nd'has a number of metalK balls 'held` therein with :enough overall spacecbetweenrthem'A to allow the ,admission of but?- a'fsinglevarm -Sii between them. The tubular as .to preclude the entrance ofl another receptacle arm therein.

All the receptacles are normally secured in closed,.posit-on,"I subject to release by actuation of aI coin-controlled mechanism, by a common lockingrod 6.5 which is rockably mounted in the sides I3 and M of thecabnet and which carries i'red bars 5'! each of which normally engage at itsouter end against a shoulder E38 on the arm of itsigrespective i receptacle to q precludeV rotationoi lever E9, the:coinacontrolledwheel f-liandrrtheir associatedv mechanism. are" disposed :in a coinL box i3 mounted onfthezlsidei'wally-i"of the cabinet, said leverV beingbiasedgtoward lockednposition by a .snrilgff'i-i 'whi-chiisz -`secured'r,between the said lever-'andthe walt-I3: Ascthis mechanism lcan readily bef obtainedf` 'on `fthe market andi-does lnot form' a material element of' t'lfiis.-"invent-ioniitI need not be describedlat vlengt-1v1:hereinait'being'undom stood however thatiimoned'epositfoi a,colnfint e coinfrslotf' the''zwheelf'i! is freed forlrotation thereby' releasing :thercomnionilockeshavftf5Sl so that sa selected dispensing receptacleeoan ',be

Inz operationeaccoinis insertedrin the coiir'box which'freleases the lockirodi-wand releasesfall thev fdispensing= .receptaciesfz for 'selectivev operationi, llpim'selectionlofyitheireceptacle with the desiredv anticle'therfeiniits hand grip 35) grasped and the 'receptacle 'iniovedrom `the ."ol'osed;I posi-l tionfil-l-ustrated in Eig'; to fthe'positionV :illustrated..inzFig:f4 sovthat the-'milkrcarton .liin'the pocket fwill be `movedf'toD the accessibligl dispensing position :illustrated in.liFig..4 where itv may` be grasped aridirenioved from said pocket: It Y'will be noted that duriaig;saidi'dispensing faction, the ball lock-aout VSM1/functions' to preciudesimiiltaneous operation of a :receptacleaotherthanthe'one selected, andathat .thegpawlii cooperates witli'the teeth on control bar 55 to preclude reversal of receptacle4 movement after initial actuation. in eitherof itsY rotational directions;` During the rotation 10i the,Y dispensing receptacle vthe lower end of the feed chute is moved upwardly so vthat it assumes-a. substantially horizontal position, thereby relieving `the chute rkfeeding pressure on the,` .articlevv being' dispensed and permitting the upper interior surface it 'of'fthe' wail l tito act as a stopfforfA articles (the chute-duringth-e; dispen'singVVV operation. After Awithdrawal of th'endispensedarticle from the receptacle the'hand grip 3,6 is released -and,-the"receptacle is automatically returned to the `inoperative position shown in Fig. .3 byfthewweightof' the articles in the chute and the vbias of spring rt; thesuddenness-oi the stop serving to posi-tively feed theilowermostcarzton into fthe empty receptacle'iandf, also precluding f ifiebeidwtheiewe edeeof 'seriele' i" e'aeenieiiiceiving position toan articledisp'ensing position ydiese fwall for the cabinet having a dispensingopening outerend of the receptacle4`= ttom'wa ,1i

tud-many" 'extended-- arm fixe of -tlfie'chute andresting'ponethe j forbiasing@theY Chute'f'towaldfarin an'dpiw zoeter-hingeconnection between ne 'atm-et wauw flzltvendine machine avingaenseacabinet; -Iand/"thefl'ov's'ler edge offtheclosure;1 and v-shaped a'plrality oij ifricli'iiedfchuteslmounted ithinfth'e from; said y'receptacle'leir`1g1bc dily swin'gable in an arc by the closure-between a, normal article rewith' the bottom wall 'disposed in andprecludingy access to the cabinet interionfan inclinedieed chute mounted icrvrocking movement within the cabinetin longitudinal alignment with the recep-rtacle' 'and a I longitudinallyy extensible connection "et en' thev ceptac'le formed therethrough, n manually operable Clo-v v of dispensing openings formed therethrough, a sure for the opening having its lowerioortion eX- shaft mounted within the cabinet in substantieu tending below the lower edge of Said opening, a parallensm with the front wall, a'piurality of inhorizonta1 hinge conneotion'betweentho Cabinet @lined chutes eaenpivoted upon the shaft for wall and the lower edge of the closure, a v'handle 35 independent rocking movement thereon whereby portion extending IabOVe the upper end Of the `rowsof articles in said chfutes are normally fed closure and spaced away from the front wall of by gravity tothe lower ends of said chutes, dis--` the cabinet, an L-shaped 'dispensing receptacle pensing receptaclespivotally mounted on the front carried by the interior Side f the GlOSU-Ie Midl Wall for oscillating movement into and out of Comprising ein inclinedend Woll eXteIl'dilg 40 saidopenings, the said receptacles being normalvthfollgh the We Dart 0f the dispensing 0De11 ly Idisposed at the lower ends of said chutes for il'lg from an intermediate portion 0f the Closure, f receiving the lowermost article therein, an extenand a bottom wall xed to the lower end ofthe sible :connection between the lower end of each end wall and `ololoositely inclined therefrom, Said chute and its respective receptacle, a stop means receptacle being bodily SWiIlgabe in an are by constituted by thatportion of the front wall the closure between a normal article receiving above the dispensing opening for holding the row position to an article dispensing position with l of articles from sliding down the chute when the the bottom wall disposed n and preolildine oC- receptacle is beingmoved out of the cabinet, and cess to the cabinet interior, an inclined feed chute l means for permitting oscillation of one of said mounted for rocking movement within the cabireceptacles at a, time. i .v y net in longitudinal alignment with the receptacle 6, A vending machine having a ciosed cabinet, and a, longitudinally extensible connection bea front wall for thev cabinet provided with a tween the adjacent portions of the leCeDtoCle plurality of dispensing openings, a horizontal bottom and the chute. mounting shaft disposed across the interior of 3. In a dispensing maChIle 0f the Character 55 the cabinet at-the level of the upper ends of the described a closed cabinet, an upstandingvfront Openings, a, plurality of Side-by side, inclined wall for vthe Cabinet having a dispensing openchutes mounted within the r'cabinet upon the ing formed therethrough, a manually operable shaft for rocking movements whereby rows of closure for the opening having its lower p01'- articles in said chutes are normally fed by gravity tion extending below the loWel" edge of Seid open- 60 to the lower ends of said chutes normally located ing, a horizontal hinge connection betWeentbe subjacent the lower edges of their respective cabinet wall and the lower edge ofthe closure; openings, dispensing receptacles normally posian Lshaped dispensing receptacle Carried by the tioned at the level of the lowerl ends of said interior1 side of the closure and comprisingan Y chutes for receiving the lowermost articles in inclined end wall extending through the lower saidchutes, means for pivotally mounting the pal-t of the dispensing opening from an inter--`r receptacles on the outer side of the cabinet wall mediate portion 0f the Closure, and a, bottom wall to provide oscillating movements for the rexed to the lower end of the end wall andop- ,ceptacles into and out of the cabinet around a positely inclined therefrom, said receptacle being common axis parallel to `the mounting shafty to' bodily SWbge'ble in on Moby the eloellebetween 7o thereby move an article contained therein from anormal article receiving DoSitionto an 'article the cabinet, extensible, chute supporting condispeneing position ywith the bottoni Woll disposed f' nections between the chute ends and the adjacent in and precluding access tothe cabinet interior, ends of their respective receptacles, vmeans for 'an inclined, channel shaped feed chute pivotally permitting oscillation of one of said receptaclesv mounted intermediate its. ends within: the cab-iat a time, whereby the receptacle is moved up- 7i wa-rdly and v:out throughthe opening and the lower end "of the chute isrmoved adjacent to the interiorportion ofthe cabinet wall above the opening to `hold thefrow ofarticlesttherein from sliding down said chute.

'7. A` vending machine having a closedcabinet, a plurality of inclined chutes mounted within the cabinet for rocking movementI wherebyrows of articles in said chutes are normally fedby .gravity tothe lower ends of said chutes, dispensing receptacles at the lower `ends of said chutesk for receiving the lower article in said chutes, means forpivotally mounting the receptacles onl the cabinet to provide oscillating movements for the .receptacles into and out of thecabinet around a common axis parallel to the lower ends -of the `chutes, to thereby move an article contained therein from the cabinet, extensible vconnections between .the chute'. ends and their respective receptacles,a depending, arcuatearmxedto each receptacle, a ball lockoutmeans extending across ,the paths of alltof said arcuate arms, a coin controlledlocking rod pivotally mounted within the cabinet in parallelism with the -ball lockout .and I1ormal157 disposed in the path of thear'cuate arm.

`8. VA vending machine having a closed cabinet, .a front wall for the cabinet having a horizontal row of dispensing openings formed therethrough, aplurality of inclined chutes mounted Within the s Number Name Date t 1,619,006 Vaughan Mar. 1, 1927 1,715,498 Gaston June 4, 1929 1,773,329 Upham 1' Aug. 19, 1930 1,861,834

8\ l cabinet if or rocking movements whereby rows: of articles in said chutes are normally, fed 'by gravity to the lower ends of said chutes, dispensing-Teceptacles at the lower ends 'of said Chutes', a closurefor each opening hinged along its lower edge to the frontwall, means for securing each manantiales @iran The followingfreferences are of record inthe le of this patent:

Binggeli June 7, 1932 

